TWIC Twouble - not enough dough, says GAO

| Tuesday, December 16, 2003

In
a Dec. 12 letter to Congress, the U.S. General Accounting Office cited funding
difficulties in the implementation of the Transportation Security
Administration’s Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, known
as TWIC.

The
cards are intended for use by those, including truck drivers, who have access
to the nation’s port areas.The purpose of TWIC is to create one common and universally
accepted ID for all workers in the transportation field, whether they're
truckers, dockworkers, airline mechanics, caterers, ship crews or railroad
engineers.

“Although
no national estimates of the cost are currently available, they are likely to
be substantial,” the agency said. The comments were sent to Sen. Ernest
Hollings, D-SC, ranking member on the Committee of Commerce, Science and
Transportation. “According to a TSA official, nationwide the agency expects to
issue 5 to 6 million identification cards a year from mid-2004 to the end of
2007.”

GAO
noted a study for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that estimates it
will cost at least $45 million to perform the necessary start-up tasks.

“Because
of these significant costs, maritime stakeholders are concerned about who will
ultimately pay for the TWIC,” GAO said. “One port authority official indicated
the cost may be passed on to workers as a cost of their employment.”

The costs are related
to installation of card readers throughout the ports, the issuance of the cards
and adding staff to operate and maintain the system.